Wire take-up apparatus



Feb. 16, 1965 A. LUDWIG 3,169,715

WIRE TAKE-UP APPARATUS Filed June 12, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 16, 1965 A. LUDWIG 3,169,715

` WIRE TAKE-UP APPARATUS Filed June l2, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,169,715 WIRE TAKE-UP APPARATUS Alfons Ludwig, Fort Lee, NJ., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 12, 1963, Ser. No. 287,251 5 Claims. (Cl. 242-25) This invention relates to continuous wire winding apparatus and particularly to a continuous winding apparatus having facilities for automatically switching from a full take-up reel to an empty take-up reel with minimum feed disturbance during changeover.

In installations for automatically producing insulated wire, the process is designed to function on a continuous basis. Obviously, the benefits of continuous production cannot be fully realized if there `are frequent interruptions which cause an appreciable reduction in actual operating time. Since the insulated wire product is wound on takeup reels, means must be employed to always present an empty reel to the output of the insulating line in condi-tion to immediately take up the wire when the running reel becomes full or the insulating line will have to be shut down during changeover from a full to an empty reel. One apparatus for transferring the oncoming wire from a rotating full reel to an empty reel while the insulating line is running at a constant high speed is disclosed in Patent 2,971,709 to B. C. Ellis, Ir. Another prior art apparatus is shown in Patent 2,929,569 to J. N. Detrick et al.

In wire transfer apparatus of the type being considered, it is common practice to use a dancer column -to take up any slacl which develops in the wire during transfer due to abrupt momentary changes in feeding rate which may occur during the cutover interval. The problem, therefore, is to switch the constant wire feed from a rapidly rotating full reel to an empty reel with a minimum of disturbance of wire feed. Control arrangements of the prior art usually comprise either complex electronic circuits requiring large numbers of electrical components with attendant maintenance problems arising from heavy production usage or rather simple electrical control arrangements dependent mainly upon a change in position of the dancer sheave. In the latter case, a single control potentiometer regulated by the position of the dancer sheave, has been used to regulate the speed signal to the take-up reels. This potentiometer is unable to change instantaneously from providing a low speed signal to the full reel to provide a high speed signal to the empty'reel. Consequently, the dancer sheave is forced to suddenly shift position and-take up any excess wire which accumulates from the constant speed production line. Such a sudden shift may cause a break in the wire, dislodgment of the wire from the dancer sheave, or actuation of safety switches which automatically shuts down the line. n

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a simple and reliable means for controlling the speed of wire take-up reels.

Another object of this invention is to provide a con- 3,169,715 Patented Feb. 16, 1965 trol for wire take-up reels having a single control element during normal operation but having a second control element automatically switched into the circuit during reel changeovers to furnish a speed signal to the reel driving means which permits dancer column sheaves to remain in substantially the same position with minimum disturbance to the wire feed.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the present invention contemplates a continuous wire winding apparatus having a speed control potentiometer regulating the speed signal to a take-up reel during normal operation. As the diameter of the wound wire builds up, the potentiometer gradually moves automatically to a higher resistance value tending to decrease the speed signal to the takeup reel to offset the increase in diameter since the feeding rate of the wire remains constant. When a reel is full, the control potentiometer is set for low speed and there is relatively little wire storage in the dancer column. At cutover, the empty reel which has been started by a preset speed signal, requires high speed to compensate for its smaller diameter. The control potentiometer, however, is not able to adjust instantaneously from its low speed position causing the idler sheave of the dancer column to drop sharply to handle the rapid accumulation of excess wire. On the other hand, as contemplated by this invention, a second preset potentiometer is switched in vparallel with the control potentiometer at the moment of cutover, thereby producing a high speed signal for the empty reel. The second potentiometer automatically times out when the control potentiometer has reached a predetermined value indicative of a stable take-up operation.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic of a continuous wire winding apparatus embodying the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of said wire winding apparatus.

With reference to the drawings, Wire 10 drawn from an insulating apparatus (not shown) is fed through a pair of capstans 11 `at a uniform speed. The capstans 11 are both driven by a belt arrangement 12 working off pulleys 13 on a common shaft 14 driven by a motor 16 which runs at a constant speed. The motor 16 is also effective to drive tachometer generator 42 by means of a belt 15 to control the speed of the take-up equipment? The insulated wire 10 passes around a guide roller 17 to a dancer column arrangement 20 which" accumulates any wire slack which develops during a production run. The dancer column comprises a rotatably mounted sheave 18 and a vertically movable dancer sheave 19 which is rotatably mounted on a slide block 21. Normally, to accommodate .additional storage, several wire turns are provided on each sheave 18 and 19 and upon any slack existing in the wire 10, the dancer sheave 19 will move downwardly to provide still more storage. On the other hand, on an increase in tension in the wire 10, the dancer sheave 19 will move upwardly. The wire 10 is next advanced about a spring biasedftensioning device 22 and over a guide roller 23 to a take-up arrangement, best shown in FIG. 2, which includes an introductory wire guide 24 and a plurality of take-up reels 25a and 25b, each driven by conventional motor means 26a and 261), respectively.

Additionally, the dancer column arrangement 28 includes a control potentiometer 27 connected to the vertically movable slide block 21 by a chain drive (not shown). The details of a similar drive are shown in FIG. 3 of the aforementioned Patent 2,929,569. The potentiometer 27 depends for its setting upon the position of the vertically movable dancer sheave 19 which is attached to the block 21 and disposed to accommodate any wire slack. As illustrated in the present schematic of FIG. l, the potentiometer 27 controls the speed signal from the generator 42 to the grid 29 or 30 of an amplifier tube 3l or 32. While it is to be understood that other circuitry is included within the blocks generally designated as 54 and 56, such circuitry is conventional and well-known and is, therefore, not shown in detail in the present schematic. ln the circuit of FIG. 1, the various contacts are shown in detached form with a cross indicating a make and a bar indicating a break when the corresponding relay, counter,

etc. is operated. The amplified output signal from tubes 31 and 32 within circuits 54 and 56 is selectively fed to one of a pair of eddy current clutches 61a or 6th, driven by constant speed motors 26a or 26h. Tachometer generators 43a and 43b function to govern the speed of the drives and avoid overdriving of the particular reels 25a or 25b. The drive mechanism also includes belt drives 44a and 44b which are driven through the pair of magnetic clutches 61a and 61b by the pair of constant speed motors 26a and 26b. A more detailed explanation of the apparatus and its control system will be contained in a description of the operation which follows.

When wire from a constant speed process is taken up on a reel, transfer by conventional snagging means (not shown) from a full reel a of diameter D2 to an empty reel 25b of diameter D1 requires a speed increase due to the difference in diameters which is translated into a difference in linear take-up speed. The usual solution is to employ a vertically movable dancer sheave 19 which accepts a storage of several wire loops during speed-up and change ofthe drive signal so that no slack occurs on the take-up reels 25a or 25b. Accordingly, as the dancer sheave 19 changes position from a height H2 for a full reel position to a height H1 for an empty reel, the chain driven potentiometer 27 adjusts from a low to a high speed position. The dancer sheave 19 changes the potentiometer signal to the amplifier 32 regulating the reel drive clutch voltage to call for a high reel speed. As the reel 25b builds up causing an increase in linear takeup speed, the dancer sheave 19 rises, cutting down the speed signal to the clutch 61b which in turn controls the reel drive.

With former apparatus, approximately 1000 to 1500 feet before a build up to full reel, a counter contact 57 in the control circuit closes, energizing relay coils or 40 to make their respective contacts 46 or 47, depending upon Whether the right or left reel is empty. Mechanically tripped relays (not shown) having contacts 62 and 63, provide the necessary indication of which reel is empty. Assuming 25a to be the full reel and 25b to be empty, a preset drive signal from potentiometer 33 is sent to the empty reel drive motor 26b through amplifier tube 32 calling for high speed. When the running reel 25a is full, the dancer sheave 19 is in position H2 and control potentiometer 27 is set for low speed. When the wire feed transfers from a full reel 25a to an empty reel 25b, the dancer sheave 19 changes position from H2 to I -I`1 and the speed signal on the empty reel changes from a high prespeed signal to a low running signal.

At the moment of cutover, counter contacts 5S close and contacts 57 open, removing the prespeed signal from potentiometer 33 by opening contacts 47 of relay 40. Switch 34 which is mechanically tripped by conventional transfer means 67 of the type disclosed in Patent 2,929,569 to J. N. Detrick et al. including snaggers 68, etc., during the transfer of wire 10 from one reel to another, operates relay 45 making contacts 48 and breaking contacts 49 to transfer a low speed potentiometer signal from potentiometer 27 to the high speed empty take-up reel drive. rl`hus, the previous high speed signal is turned off just at the time a high speed signal is required. The wire it) which cannot be taken up due to the decrease in linear take-up speed caused by the low speed signal is stored on the dancer sheave 19 forcing the sheave to drop abruptly to position H1. Control potentiometer 27 slowly adjusts as the reel diameter gradually increases to provide a high speed signal. This type of control arrangement requires a storage height on the dancer column or approximately 6 to 7 feet.

According to the present invention, the speed signal varies with build up of the reel to full diameter as in the prior art, but means are provided to feed a high speed signal to the reels at the moment of cutover. To accomplish this object, a reset timer driven potentiometer 36 is switched in parallel with control potentiometer 27. When the running reel builds up to about 1000 feet of full reel, the counter 37 closes contacts 57 and the empty reel 25b receives a high preset speed through potentiometer 33 and Contact 46 of relay 35. Of course, relay 40 would be similarly operated if reel 25a was empty.

At full reel, the dancer sheave 19 is located at a predetermined height H3 and potentiometer 27 is set for a value of about 4.75K. which provides a low speed signal. The counter 37 which registers the wire build-up closes contacts 58 when a reel is full, energizing relay 55 to make contacts 51 which operate relay 65 within the resistance-timer circuit 39. The timer motor 38 is actuated through normally closed contacts 66 yby closing of the timer clutch contacts 52 and 53 of relay 65 which, in turn, place potentiometer 36 in the control circuit. The high prespeed signal from potentiometer 33 is removed from the empty reel 25b through contacts 46 of relay 35 which open at transfer. A speed signal resulting from potentiometer Z7 and 36 in parallel is fed to the control amplifier 32 through contacts 48 of relay 45. Contacts 59 and 60 operate similar to contacts- 48 and 49 when relay 50 is cu-t into the circuit by switch 34 during transfer of the wire feed from reel 25b to 25a.

The value of potentiometer 27 is about 4.75K. at cutover but the parallel resistance placed in the circuit with potentiometer 36 set for 3.5K. will be about 2K. which calls for a high reel speed. The dancer sheave 19, therefore, remains in predetermined position H3 with no disturbance to accommodate wireslack. With the build up of the take-up reel from D1 to D2, timer driven potentiometer 36 increases the resulting resistance in the circuit from 2K. to about 4.65K. slowing down reel speed automatically without substantial change of dancer sheave position H3.

The resistance value of logarithmic relation potentiometer 36 increases from a minimum of 3.5K. to approximately K. during the run. Before full reel, timer driven potentiometer 36 is taken out of the resistancetimer circuit 39 leaving potentiometer 27 and the sheave 19 in relatively the sarne position'. Potentiometer 36 is reset automatically by means (not shown) from 100K. to 3.5K. for the next transfer. The parallel resistance value at the time potentiometer 36 is taken out of the circuit with potentiometer 27 at 4.75K. is 4.65K. so only a slight disturbance, if any, will occur. Potentiometer 36 drops outl of the circuit approximately 1000 feet before full reel. While the above resistance values comprise a typical embodiment, the invention may be applied to other diameter sizes by calculating values of potentiometer 36 and adjusting the resistor 41 accordingly.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a 60 cycle, volt input is satisfactory for the timer circuit and a D.C. tach generator 42 driven by capstan motor 16 feeds a voltage signal through the control circuit to synchronize the speed of a take-up reel with the capstan. A number of resistances, capacitors and electronic voltagel regulator tubes are also included `in the circuit to perform various standard functions which have not been described in detail.

It is to be understood that the above described arrangelments are simply illustrative of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is: 1. In a wire winding apparatus: first and second take-up devices, a driving means for each take-up device, electrical control means for each driving means, means for transferring the take-up of the wire from the first take-up device to the second take-up device when the first take-up device reaches a predetermined full condition, and circuit means for applying a signal to each control means which is variable in accordance with the diameter of the wire accumulated on a take-up device at a given time, the signal being of relatively large magnitude when the diameter of the accumulated wire is low and of relatively small magnitude as the diameter of the wire approaches the full condition, the circuit means including:

means for transferring the signal being applied to the control means of the first device to the control means of the second device when the full condition is reached on the first take-up device, a first potentiometer, means for varying the effective value of the first potentiometer in accordance with the diameter of the wire on the first take-up device, a second potentiometer, and means for coupling the second potentiometer to the first potentiometer when the signal is transferred to the second take-up device. 2. In a wire winding apparatus: first and second take-up devices, a driving means for each take-up device, electrical control means for each driving means, means for transferring the take-up of the wire from the first take-up device to the second take-up device when the first take-up device reaches a predetermined full condition, and circuit means for applying a signal to each control means which is variable in accordance with the diameter of the wire accumulated on a take-up device at a given time, the signal being of relatively large magnitude when the diameter of the accumulated wire is low and of relatively low magnitude as the diameter of the wire approaches the full condition, the circuit means including:

means for transferring the signal being applied to the control means of the first device to the control means of the second device when the full condition is reached on the first take-up device, an amplifier individual to each electrical control means, a first potentiometer, means for varying the effective value of the first potentiometer in accordance with the diameter of the wire on the first take-up device, a second potentiometer, and means for coupling the second potentiometer to the first potentiometer when the signal is transferred to the second take-up device. 3. In a wire winding apparatus: first and second take-up devices, a driving means for each take-up device, electrical control means for each driving means, means for transferring the take-up of the wire from the first take-up device to the second take-up device when the first take-up device reaches a predetermined full condition, and

6 circuit means for applying a signal to each control means which is variable in accordance with the diameter of the wire accumulated on a take-up device at a given time, the signal being of relatively large magnitude when the diameter of the accumulated wire is low and of relatively low magnitude as the diameter of the wire approaches the full condition, the circuit means including:

means for transferring the signal being applied to the control means of the first device lto the control means of the second device when the full condition is reached on the first take-up device, an amplifier individual to each electrical control means, a first potentiometer, means for varying the eective value of the first potentiometer in accordance with the diameter of the wire on the first take-up device, a second potentiometer, means for coupling the second potentiometer tothe first potentiometer when the signal is transferred to the second take-up device, and timing means to decouple the second potentiometer from the first potentiometer after a predetermined time interval.v 4. In a continuous take-up apparatus for insulated wire which is fed to said apparatus at a constant linear speed:

a pair of rotatable reels,

a pair of motors for driving said reels including a speed signal controlled clutch means connected to each motor to regulate the application of driving torque to the reels,

means for transferring the wire feed to the other reel when the running reel is full,

a control means responsive to build up of wire on a running reel to slow down the speed of the reel by changing the speed signal to the associated clutch means as the wire builds up comprising:

a vertically movable dancer sheave arranged to take up any slack in the linear wire feed as the reel builds up,

a first potentiometer regulating the speed signal to control one of the motors,

means responsive to the position of the dancer sheave for varying the potentiometer to vary the speed signal,

a second potentiometer,

means for switching said second potentiometer into the control means at cutover to provide a high speed signal to the clutch means connected to the second motor, and

means for switching the control means to the clutch means for the other reel, and

means actuated after a predetermined time delay for lautomatically switching the second potentiometer out of the circuit.

5. An automatic wire take-up apparatus comprising:

a pair of rotatably mounted take-up devices,

a first drive means,

means for connecting said first drive means to rotate said take-up devices,

a second drive means,

means for connecting the second drive means to rotate the second take-up device a predetermined interval before the first take-up device is full,

means oper-ated by the further laying of wire on the first take-up device to shift the wire feed to the second take-up device,

control means for decreasing the speed of the drive means as the wire builds up on the take-up device, said control means including:

a generator responsive to the wire feed producing a device signal for the take-up devices,

a dancer column sheave to accommodate any slack developing in the wire,

7 8 a first potentiometer driven by the dancer sheave timing means for dropping said second potentiomto regulate the generated signal as the wire builds eter out ofthecircuit when the rst potentiomup on the takeup devices, eter has adjusted to provide a speed compatible a second potentiometer, with the wire feed. means for switching said second Apotentiometer in 5 4 Y parallel with the first sheave driven potentiorrv References Cited in the me 0f this Ptent eter during cutover between reels, UNITED STATES PATENTS means to instantaneously operate said switching means to provide a lhigh speed signal to-the second drive means when the wire is shifted to the 10 second take-up device, and

2,929,569 Detrick er a1. Mr. 22, 1960 

1. IN A WIRE WINDING APPARATUS: FIRST AND SECOND TAKE-UP DEVICES, A DRIVING MEANS FOR EACH TAKE-UP DEVICE, ELECTRICAL CONTROL MEANS FOR EACH DRIVING MEANS, MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING THE TAKE-UP OF THE WIRE FROM THE FIRST TAKE-UP DEVICE TO THE SECOND TAKE-UP DEVICE WHEN THE FIRST TAKE-UP DEVICE REACHES A PREDETERMINED FULL CONDITION, AND CIRCUIT MEANS FOR APPLYING A SIGNAL TO EACH CONTROL MEANS WHICH IS VARIABLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DIAMETER OF THE WIRE ACCUMULATED ON A TAKE-UP DEVICE AT A GIVEN TIME, THE SIGNAL BEING OF RELATIVELY LARGE MAGNITUDE WHEN THE DIAMETER OF THE ACCUMULATED WIRE IS LOW AND OF RELATIVELY SMALL MAGNITUDE AS THE DIAMETER OF THE WIRE APPROACHES THE FULL CONDITION, THE CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING: MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING THE SIGNAL BEING APPLIED TO THE CONTROL MEANS OF THE FIRST DEVICE TO THE CONTROL MEANS OF THE SECOND DEVICE WHEN THE FULL CONDITION IS REACHED ON THE FIRST TAKE-UP DEVICE, A FIRST POTENTIOMETER, MEANS FOR VARYING THE EFFECTIVE VALUE OF THE FIRST POTENTIOMETER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DIAMETER OF THE WIRE ON THE FIRST TAKE-UP DEVICE, A SECOND POTENTIOMETER, AND MEANS FOR COUPLING THE SECOND POTENTIOMETER TO THE FIRST POTENTIOMETER WHEN THE SIGNAL IS TRANSFERRED TO THE SECOND TAKE-UP DEVICE. 